1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for electrotherapy, comprising in particular a circuit arrangement with a terminal for generation of a sequence of voltage pulses and two electrodes for application of these voltage pulses to a part of the body that is to be treated; one of the two electrodes having a surface of comparatively high transition resistance and the other electrode having comparatively low transition resistance towards the human skin; the electrode with the surface of high transition resistance being movable over the part of the body that is to be treated and the surface being a plastic film; with sequences of pulses of voltages from 1 to 600 V being generated and a current in a microampere range being produced in the tissue.
2. Background Art
An apparatus of the generic type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,263.
An apparatus of the generic type helps accomplish a flow in the human tissue of currents of extremely low amperage i.e., in the microampere range. This is due to the high transition resistance of the at least one electrode, with a current limiter precluding any risk for a treated person occasioned by the comparatively high voltage used, even in cases that deviate from the norm, for example surrounding high moisture content.
The pulse sequences applied to a treated part of the body modulate the physiotherapeutic effect on the tissue periodically corresponding to the excitation frequency, this having an extremely efficient decongestive effect on lymph, overacidified muscles, bruises or the like by autonomous regeneration of the connective tissue, i.e. any accumulation of concentrations in the tissue is intercepted.
The efficacy of physiotherapeutic devices of the generic type is based on endogenous modulation. A treated person as well as a therapist will only observe body pulsation or vibration. Moreover, this kind of excitation can make use of frequencies which are hard to be put into practice by purely mechanical excitation. Precise control of the dynamics of the vibratory motion is possible by excitation of corresponding pulse patterns.
The effect which the efficacy of such a device depends on is, among other things, based on periodical modification of the frictional force between a therapist's glove, or the electrode he moves, and the treated tissue by reason of a phenomenon similar to the Johnson-Raabeck effect. Semi-conductor-type behaviour of one of the electrodes, namely the moved electrode, is of decisive importance for the occurrence of this effect.
The pulsating electric field between a therapist's hand and a patient's body leads to pulsating electrostatic attraction and thus to pulsating frictional force, this ultimately leading to even sensible pulsating tissue deformation.